Optical module, optical module mounting method, optical module-mounted circuit substrate, optical module evaluation kit system, circuit substrate, and communication system

Abstract

An optical module includes a housing including an internal space that has an opening in a substrate mounting surface, an element mounting surface that forms a portion of an inner surface of the internal space, and a waveguide introduction opening that is formed in a side surface intersecting the substrate mounting surface and is opened to the opening of the substrate mounting surface and communicated with the internal space, an optical element that is mounted on the element mounting surface, and an electronic element that is mounted on the element mounting surface and is connected to the optical element. When the substrate mounting surface is mounted on a circuit substrate, an optical waveguide that protrudes from a surface of the circuit substrate is introduced into the internal space through the waveguide introduction opening.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An optical module comprising:
 a housing including an internal space that has an opening in a substrate mounting surface, an element mounting surface that forms a portion of an inner surface of the internal space, and a waveguide introduction opening that is formed in a side surface intersecting the substrate mounting surface and is connected to the opening and the internal space; 
 an optical element that is mounted on the element mounting surface; 
 an electronic element that is mounted on the element mounting surface and is connected to the optical element; 
 a lens element that is arranged to correspond to the optical element; 
 a holding mechanism that holds the lens element at an arranged position; 
 an attachment structure that attaches a protector to the optical module, the protector being configured to cover and protect an exposed surface of the lens element, 
 wherein, when the substrate mounting surface is mounted on a circuit substrate, an optical waveguide that protrudes from a surface of the circuit substrate is introduced into the internal space through the waveguide introduction opening, and 
 the protector is attached through the waveguide introduction opening. 
 
     
     
       2. The optical module according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing further includes a plate member that has the element mounting surface and a frame member that is bonded to the plate member and has the substrate mounting surface. 
     
     
       3. The optical module according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing further includes a guide hole for alignment when the optical module is mounted on the circuit substrate. 
     
     
       4. The optical module according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the holding mechanism has two guide holes which are formed so as to be fitted to an MT-type optical connector. 
 
     
     
       5. The optical module according to  claim 4 , further comprising a spacer that is interposed between the holding mechanism and the element mounting surface. 
     
     
       6. The optical module according to  claim 5 , wherein a thickness of the spacer is selected such that a variation in a distance from the substrate mounting surface to a focusing point of the lens element due to a tolerance of the height of the internal space is corrected to be reduced. 
     
     
       7. The optical module according to  claim 4 , wherein the holding mechanism is made of metal, and a gap between the holding mechanism and the electronic element is filled with a resin with thermal conductivity. 
     
     
       8. The optical module according to  claim 1 , wherein the electronic element is mounted in a concave portion that is formed in the element mounting surface. 
     
     
       9. The optical module according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing has a radiation structure that is formed so as to pass through the housing from a rear surface side of the electronic element. 
     
     
       10. The optical module according to  claim 9 , wherein the radiation structure is a radiation member that is buried in the housing. 
     
     
       11. A circuit substrate comprising:
 an optical waveguide that protrudes from a surface of the circuit substrate; and 
 the optical module according to  claim 1  that has the substrate mounting surface mounted on the circuit substrate such that the optical waveguide is introduced into the internal space through the waveguide introduction opening. 
 
     
     
       12. An optical module-mounted circuit substrate comprising:
 the optical module according to  claim 1 ; 
 an optical coupling member that is optically coupled with the optical module; and 
 a circuit substrate on which the optical module and the optical coupling member are mounted and which has a main surface having an opening formed therein and is electrically connected to the optical module, 
 wherein the positioning of the optical module and the optical coupling member in at least a horizontal direction of the main surface of the circuit substrate is performed through the opening. 
 
     
     
       13. The optical module-mounted circuit substrate according to  claim 12 , wherein the positioning in the horizontal direction is performed by alignment between positioning means which are provided in the optical module and the optical coupling member. 
     
     
       14. The optical module-mounted circuit substrate according to  claim 13 , wherein the horizontal-direction positioning means are a structure for fitting a guide pin to a guide pin hole. 
     
     
       15. The optical module-mounted circuit substrate according to  claim 12 , further comprising a fixing means that positions the height of an optical connection portion of the optical coupling member in a direction perpendicular to the circuit substrate. 
     
     
       16. The optical module-mounted circuit substrate according to  claim 12 , wherein the optical module is fixed to a circuit pattern provided on the circuit substrate by soldering. 
     
     
       17. The optical module-mounted circuit substrate according to  claim 12 , wherein the optical module is detachably fixed to a circuit pattern provided on the circuit substrate and is electrically connected to the circuit pattern. 
     
     
       18. The optical module-mounted circuit substrate according to  claim 12 , wherein an optical glass, a lens, or a spot size conversion means is provided in the opening. 
     
     
       19. An optical module evaluation kit system for evaluating an optical module, comprising:
 the optical module-mounted circuit substrate according to  claim 12 . 
 
     
     
       20. A communication system comprising:
 the optical module according to  claim 1 . 
 
     
     
       21. A communication system comprising:
 a circuit substrate according to  claim 11 . 
 
     
     
       22. A communication system comprising:
 an optical module-mounted circuit substrate according to  claim 12 . 
 
     
     
       23. An optical module mounting method comprising:
 attaching, to the optical module according to  claim 1 , the protector that covers and protects a surface from which the optical element is exposed; and 
 mounting the optical module on the circuit substrate, with the substrate mounting surface facing the circuit substrate. 
 
     
     
       24. The optical module according to  claim 1 , wherein the attachment structure includes a slit formed in the holding mechanism and the protector includes a plate section, part of the plate section being inserted into the slit to attach the protector to the optical module. 
     
     
       25. The optical module according to  claim 24 , wherein the protector further includes a spring part, wherein a part of the plate section is inserted into the slit, a shape of a combination of the plate section and the spring part covers the waveguide introduction opening and sandwich the optical module in a thickness direction of the optical module.